Fashion Scout » Stayin’ Snug with Seapelts & ‘Staches
Heaters suck. They kill the planet, get your skin all in a tizzy, go “CLAAAAAAANG TOCK FZZZZZZZZZZZ” in the middle of the night, and cost an arm & a leg in gas bills. So why not end your shivers with greener (and chic-er and massively more cuddle-able) solutions? Hand it to the Icelandic design quintet Vík Prjónsdóttir to knit & purl together some seriously snug accessories. Using the country’s rich tradition of storytelling and folklore as a base, mixing it with timeless tricks for keeping warm through Nordic winter months (shared beds = shared heat = tons of potential), and aided by a master of Icelandic knitwear, Víkurprjón, the collection is carefully layered with tales to tell:
The Seapelts (above)
“In the Icelandic myths, seals are believed to be condemned humans. One ancient story from the south of Iceland is about a farmer who, early one morning, finds a seal pelt lying on the beach. In a cave nearby, he hears voices and music. He takes the seal pelt home and hides it in a wooden chest. Later that day he returns to the beach and finds a crying, naked young woman sitting on a rock. He brings her to his house, where she stays, but he never tells her about the pelt. As time goes by they get married and have children. But the young woman is restless and often stares quietly out of the window at the ocean. One day when the farmer goes fishing, his wife accidentally finds the key of the chest, opens it and discovers the missing pelt. She takes leave of her children, puts the pelt on and before she dives into the ocean she says: “I am very anxious, with seven children on land and seven in the sea.” She never comes back but the farmer misses her terribly. Later, when he goes fishing, there often is a seal near his boat and its eyes are filled with tears. It is said that the farmer becomes a very lucky fisherman. And when his children play at the beach there often is a seal swimming close to land. Sometimes it brings them beautiful stones and colorful fishes. But their mother never returned.”
The Beard Cap
“The beard caps refer to a traditional cap called “lambshed-hood” which was used in Iceland by farmers who in heavy snowstorms had to walk long distances between their sheds and to the neigboring farms. The cap covered both head and neck and had only a small opening for the face.”
The Regional Blanket
“Vikwool is located in the southern coast of Iceland, south of one of the country’s largest glaciers. Under the icemass sleeps one of the most active volcanos of the island, Katla, who wakes up once in a century.”
BUY IN NORTH AMERICA:
New York: Scandinavian Grace (167 North 9th Street, Williamsburg)
San Francisco: The Curiosity Shoppe (855 Valencia Street)
Canada: Commissaires (5226 St-Laurent, Montréal)
BUY IN ICELAND:
Reykjavík: Kron Kron (Laugavegi 63)
Reykjavík: Epal (Skeifunni 6)
BUY ELSEWHERE:
Copenhagen: Henrik Vibskov (Krystalgade 6)
Estonia: Gallery SooSoo (Soo 4. Tallinn)
London: Magma (8 Erlham Street, Covent Garden)
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